Balham
South London foodies should be well acquainted with the name of Sam
Harrison, the proprietor of Sam’s Brasserie in Chiswick and Harrison’s in
Balham. Both establishments have excellent reputations as neighbourhood
restaurants of the highest quality and draw customers from all over the city to
the south side of the river.
Harrison’s in particular, has recently been re-launched after an
extensive refurbishment to celebrate its fifth birthday and now looks as good
as their food tastes. The centre of the restaurant is dominated by the open
plan kitchen and bar area, with trendy exposed brickwork walls and reclaimed
factory light fittings hanging from the ceiling. Downstairs, there is a brand
new cocktail bar, which oozes New York cool and will surely become home to some
weekend debauchery. Meanwhile, upstairs in the restaurant, our seats were in a
diner-style booth, and in front of us was a printed menu of the selection of
seafood, steaks and grills, plus daily specials and cocktail recommendations.
Immediately, our attention was drawn to one of the items in the starter
section; chilled crab trifle. Without a description of ingredients, our mind
started to imagine what it might contain. Would there be a layer of custard?
Would it be topped with cream? Of course not, it was served in a clip-seal jar,
with white crab meat layered amongst guacamole and tomato salsa, looking more
like an artistic tricolore salad than the sherry trifle we had imagined. The
guacamole was smooth and gently complemented the subtle flavours of the crab,
while the chunky salsa gave the dish texture. A great idea executed superbly.
We also sampled the salt and pepper squid which was seasoned to perfection. We
have been disappointed with salt and pepper squid before, but Harrison’s has
perfected the dish with just enough pepper to leave a tingle on the taste buds.
Having looked longingly into the kitchen during our starters, we saw
some delicious looking grills being prepared, so we had to order something
meaty to satisfy our carnivore cravings. The 8oz flat iron steak was a large
slab of meaty goodness with barely an ounce of fat on it, and served with a
topping of stilton butter, it was red meat heaven. The accompanying fries were
just how we liked them; crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle. We also
recommend the chicken schnitzel; a truly huge chicken breast, flattened and
breaded and served atop a layer of creamed sweetcorn and curly kale. A side
dish of roasted new potatoes seasoned with rosemary completed the meal and left
us feeling stuffed and very content.
After two large courses, we could only manage one dessert between us
and opted for the rhubard mess; a delicious twist on the classic Eton mess.
Served in a jam jar, the richness of the cream hamonised the slight sourness of
the rhubarb and was topped with crunchy pistachios. It may have been slightly
too rich for one person to enjoy properly, but between two it was the perfect
end to a delicious meal.
Had it not been a Monday night, we would have visited the downstairs
for a post-meal cocktail, but that did not stop us having a quick peek. Sleekly
designed with further exposed brickwork and plenty of comfy leather seats, it
is open Tuesday to Saturday for cocktails and teemed with a very well-stocked
selection of spirits. We’ll be back soon to experience the bar, but there’s no
way we could come back to Harrison's without having dinner here again and trying out a few
more dishes from the menu.
15-19 Bedford Hill, SW12 9EX
Average price of main course: £14
Average price of glass of wine: £5
Food/drink: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Service: 5/5
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